Early Vote Results Show Australia's Conservative PM In Trouble

Early vote results show Australia's conservative PM in trouble

Sydney, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st May, 2022 ) :Early results in Australia's bitterly fought election showed conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison facing an almighty struggle to remain in power, as voters offered a stinging rebuke of his party's inaction on climate change.

With almost half the votes counted, Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labor was projected to be the largest party in parliament, but was not yet assured of a clear majority.

After three years marked by punishing natural disasters and a pandemic, Australians backed a string of climate-focused candidates who could yet hold the balance of power.

The Australian Greens and so-called "teals" -- mostly highly qualified women independents who ran on pro-environment, anti-corruption tickets and pro-gender equality tickets -- appeared set to bag a series of once-safe conservative urban seats.

"People are saying the climate crisis is something they want action on," said an elated Greens leader Adam Bandt.

"We have just had three years of drought, and then fires and now floods and then floods again. And people can see it, that this is happening and it's unfolding."If the early trends hold, Australians will end a decade of unbroken conservative rule.

Among the high-profile Liberals in deep trouble were economy minister Josh Frydenberg and former ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma, who were both trailing to "teal" candidates.